Saturday’s stage 2 of the “Baby Giro” from Ravenna to Porto Tolle over a pancake flat route of 171 kms, that turned it into the longest one in the Under 26 version of Italy’s Grand Tour, ended with a Russian victory as Alexei Esin of the Russian National Team won a small bunch sprint in front of Serbian Ivan Stevic and Italy’s Mirko Allegrini (Zalf Desirée Fior), with the main peloton coming in four seconds behind the winner while Polish-Canadian Peter Mazur and reigning champion Dainus Kairelis of Lithuania completed the East-European showdown as they were the fastest in the sprint for fourth and fifth place. It’s the second victory on Italian soil for the 19-year-old Russian, that also captured a stage of Giro delle Pesche Nettarine in nearby Romagna a couple weeks ago.

The last part of the stage was quite hectic, with a leading trio containing Allegrini as well as fellow Italian Paolo Caponcelli of GS Italfine Podenzano and Ukrainian Andriy Pryshchepa of Palazzago-Vellutex joined by three more riders (Italy’s Domenico Loria of MCS Bedogni-Famá, Simone Friso of the VC Bassano 1892-Elca Seca, and sprinter Lorenzo Costa of the Grassi Fausto Coppi team) with about 6-7k to the line, and soon dropped by them. But the main peloton, containing fastmen such as Australian Aaron Kemps (winner of GP Cittá di Asti in May). Mattia Gavazzi (son of Pierino, a well-known sprinter of the 80s, and younger brother of Saeco’s professional rider Nicola) and Pagnoncelli Paride Grillo, pulled them back with about 2k left. Then Allegrini made a further move, with teammate Daniele Colli following his wheels. Colli’s wicked attacks in the last 2 kms. are often dangerous, as the rivals he recently crushed in prestigious races like GP Liberazione and U23 World Cup opener Trofeo Alcide de Gasperi are well aware of. But the man wasn’t so successful this time, and both guys were brought back.

Allegrini’s legs were still good enough for him to launch a new attack under the red triangle signaling the last km., this time along with Esin and Stevic. An excellent Time Triallist, the Russian did the Lion’s share of the work in the leading trio, that the chasing peloton proved unable to bring back this time. And even launched the sprint, a bit too early according to many, but despite his effrots and not perfect tactics, Esin’s legs were very good, such that the Itera-Russia National Team rider to could maintain the lead in the last metres and take a easy win from Stevic, while Allegrini’s previous efforts took its toll on the man, who never was a real threat in the sprint.

Saturday’s flat stage suited the skills of Elia Rigotto, the most successful rider in Italy’s amateur scene in the early part of the season. But the sprinter from Vicenza, riding with the VC Bassano 1892 Elca Seca outfit, fell heavily in the first kms of the stage, and sustained leg injuries that required five stitches. Lombard Marco Bertoletti (Marchiol Famila Site), winner of Friday’s Marina di Ravenna opener, maintained the Maglia Rosa, and will try and defend his leadership also in Sunday’s more difficult stage, from Paderno di Ponzano to … Paderno di Ponzano, covering a distance of 158 km. and featuring the Giavera del Montello ascent, to be climbed four times.